The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-01

To be strong is to be fortunate in
deed. To be physically strong is to be
fortunate. To be able to do great
tasks without undue fatigue, to meet
disease and promptly beat it down, to
escape violence at the hands of evil
doors by very reason of your strength
this is certainly desirable condition.
The latest science has rather deepened
our satisfaction in sound physical
basis of life. There is one link in the
chain of evidence offered in proof of
evolution that needs no further demon
stration. The fittest survive. 1t may
be to some extent because it touches
our personal vanity and our pride of
ancestry, to think that we exist to-day
because our ancestors were the fittest
to survive, that we so readily accept
the doctrine of evolution the ev-
idence is very strong, and the fact
admonishes us in the very words of the
Christian apostle: "Be strong" You
owe it to the noble lives that begat you.
You owe it to yourself for you will not
survive, save as you are strong where
they were strong. You owe it to the
generation that shall succeed you, for
in their struggle for existence that SCI
ence tells and foretells, the weak lines
grow more and more indistinct, and at
last fade out altogether.
But, to be strong intellectually, is to
be still more fortunate. The grander,
yea, the greater strength lies there.
Slowly the world has come to realize
that. Slowly, stubborn Drawn, that
has held the scepter so long, bows in
submission to the brain. There are
certain reasons, well known to histori-
ans, ethnologists and philosophers,
why men in the early ages gave prece-
dence to physicalness in the culture of
life. The subjugation Of the earth,
elf-protection from the assaults of the
vicious, the need of military qualifica-
tions in an excessively military age
these are the reasons such culture gave
men a certain force. Thus developed,
they certainly evoked admiration. But
the giant of that day with his simple
ity of soul, and sluggishness of mind,
would be but the plaything of nine
teenth century dwarf.
The Emperor Commodus stands as a
type of the purely physical hero. He
was magnifcently built, no two hands
were large enough to encircle his arms.
He stood head and shoulders above his
fellows. Two men carried his armor.
It was the ambition of his life to meet
and subdue the strongest type of every
creature on the earth, and he did.
Again and again the great amphitheater
was filled with the citizens of Rome to
witness the empero1's mighty conquests.
Down before his brutal energy fell
beast after beast, until to crown all he
caused the chief gladiator of the Roman
Empire to bite the dust. Commodus
stood the strongest man of his age. A
million men to-day could make the YER
lest tool of such giant as that. Brain
not Drawn gave us gunpowder. Brain
not Drawn gave us the torpedo and the
gatling gun. Brain not Drawn gave
us electricity. Brain not Drawn gave
us the sun signal. Brain not Drawn
wins every battle in modern days. The
old hero led his army, the bravest of
the brave, the strongest of the strong,
and struck terror into the hearts of the
enemy by his very presence. The mod
ern general fights with bit of paper, a
spy-glass and a cigar. The most sue
cessful diplomatist, the most honored
statesman, the leading preacher, the
most fortunate business man may be
physically insignificant, so powerful is
mind, and so magnetic is thought. st.
Paul confesses to meanness of personal
presence, yet what personality-aside
from Jesus the Christ, has so moved,
subdued and led men through the
twenty centuries of Christian history :?
A country lady made pilgrimage to
Boston, to see and hear the great Chan
ming. She had felt his greatness, and
classed him in her thoughts with the
ocean, with great mountains, yea, with
some mighty orb of heaven. When
she got to the church, the edifice, though
one of the largest in Boston, seemed
ridiculously small. When one with a
frail and feeble frame arose to speak,
our countrywoman was vexed. Isn't
this DIR. Channing's church ?" to a
neighbor. Why, yes " but isn't
DR.. Charming to preach to day P"
Yes that is DR.. Channing." The
good woman was amazed. But, if she
listened that day, she must have felt
that ocean or mountain peak, or stel-
lar world itself, might still remain
symbol of his glorious strength. 1t was
strength of a nobler order than that of
the body.
But the superlative strength is in
spirituality. L use the term spiritual
ity in its broadcast sense. 1t includes
1t should be always under
stood as including morality. That is
where it has the advantage over the